Shahtoot Mulberry

Nyrie DR starts with ...
My Shahtoot Mulberry bought from Daleys about 5 years ago is loaded with fruit, as it was last year. However the fruit has never ripened as the stalks of the fruit whither and the fruit falls off long before it is ripe. I'd love to try this fruit, but so far have never been able to. The tree looks very healthy. The photo is of fallen fruit with the whithened stalks. Please can anyone help?

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Nyrie DR says...
Yes they all fall off. I'd really like to try one of these amazing mulberry fruit I've heard so much about! The tree is mulched, is in full sun and has plenty of room to grow. I've never fertilised it, so that is something I'll try. Thanks for your response.

Jo says...
I've had this same problem - every flower/immature fruit falling off! Last year I thought it might be some kind of pest, so this year I watched out for anything suspicious and even put a net over the tree. Same problem though, all the flowers/immature fruit fell off last week.

I have been giving it water and fertilized at the beginning of spring... I too would be extremely grateful if someone could enlighten me about why this happens and how to avoid it! I have googled and googled to no avail...

Thanks in advance!

amanda says...
"Old fashioned" mulberries are like a weed and seem to thrive on neglect?

I am not sure - but I live in a harsher climate than Perth and my black mulberry has not been fed nor watered since..? (can't remember in truth - maybe 6-8 months ago?) and bears fruit fine. How many neglected trees do you see hanging over fences, old dunny cart laneways etc in Perth (eg) that are loaded?

Splitmore - it might be an interesting experiment for you to deprive 1 each of your red and whites and see what happens perhaps?

Wayne says...
Has anybody thought about it being a fungal disease such as Anthracnose, once the fruit has set it is to late to save it if it's a fungal disease. Protective measures need to be taken before the tree starts flowering

Town Farm says...
I have a shahtoot which I put in last year. It has set a few fruit this year and I have had the opportunity to taste a couple. I envisioned it to be a longer than but fat like a regular mulberry but mine are longish and very skinny? They just don't plump out and juice up. I must admit I have been a bit disappointed in it to date. My dwarf black is amazingly prolific. I planted the Shahtoot with the thought that they would be fruiting at different times but to date I have been disappointed as I say. What I have tasted to date certainly haven't been fat and juicy and the centre stem is quite tough - quite ordinary actually. Anyone out there care to share their tasting comments?

Mich says...
they are thirsty and when fruiting make sure hey are constantly given a drink and good composting every year

Beth says...
I have just picked some of my supposedly red shahtoot mulberries from a 3 year old tree I I bought from the Diggers Club. I thought they would be red but when I tasted the fruit that were dropping off they were sweet and quite pleasant. However, it seems strange to have green mulberries, but it foold the birds. i am wondering if we all bought our Red Shahtoot trees from Diggers?

Phil@Tyalgum says...
The first few white fruit seem sweet and then it just becomes insipid in taste.. have had a couple of dryish fruit from the dwarf red, hoping it will perform better in years to come.

denise1 says...
Some specimens of many fruit types take until second or third crop to develop taste and sweetness. Some will never succeed in that site or maybe never at all anywhere. In NZ there are two strains of Rubus pentalobus on the market. One of them fruits freely while the other needs special pollenater. Perhaps there are several strains of the white shahtoot.

Town Farm says...
Further to my post last year, our most recent crop from our Shatoot Mulberry has been great. Beautiful sweet berries which were wonderful to graze on each day. They are finished now but can't wait for next season's crop so it was worth the wait for the tree to come into its own. It is only two years old after all. I should not be so impatient!

Town Farm says...
It is a red tree but I find that even if you pick them a bit under ripe they are still sweet - bonus. Not tart like the black when they are not completely ripe.

Db says...
Anyone knows what causes this issue and if there is any fix?

vlct says...
Mine also. Although the diameter of the rootstock is only 80mm, compared to a inch thick black English mulberry you'd buy from a bunnings.

M says...
Hi all,

I just want to set the record straight for people experienceing massive fruit drop just before ripening like I did. I found out that the tree needs to be well established before it would hold any fruit to full ripness. I planted my white shahtoot 3 yrs ago and had lots of fruit in the second year. But all dropped before ripening. Earlier this year, the same thing happened. Dropped many unriped fruit and I thought the same would happen like last year. However it did not. Many fruit remained on the tree until they are big, plump and juicy. The uglier the ripe fruit, the sweeter and more flavour. The flavour is like vanilla honey. Sweet like figs. No fibrouus core. Those happen with unripe fruit. The less ripe ones have more of a flavour reminiscent of nashi pears. Today is new year eve. Been harvesting almost daily since late Oct. Main harvest mid Nov and Dec. Still more to come. All good. Looking to get a red shahtoot next. So before anything else, please try to get your tree establish. Hope this helps.

Townfarm1 says...
I can confirm this. Mine took a couple of years to establish and now the fruit is holding and beautiful. We have had the main crop and now it is having a second flush. Can't wait. Unfortunately I am renovating and I have to relocate the tree so fingers cross it reestablishes without too much stress!!

Kevin Ho says...
Have same problem with tree now 6 years old. No effect when reduced tree by 30% with heavy pruning except fruits are now much bigger 3grams rather than 1gram. Might try potash feed as last resort. Perhaps sandy soil in Perth, Western Australia not suitable resulting in overbearing and premature fruit drop!!!!

Markmelb says...
Pete7 - let me know if your fruit ripens and is Juicy?? My December fruits were a tad dry this year and those coming on late with second crop a dang nasty dry and i throw away -- any ideas out there what I can do to make juicy again? its not thru lack of water as I watered my large white shatoot as fruit were ripening and were ok

Update on dead bit of post 2 up - I just trimmed back to a healthy bud and branch took off ok - Darn slow grower - I think my sapodilla is faster :(